So-called “High Power Light Emitting Diodes” (LEDs) at the present time are encapsulated in resin or plastic structures. Such a package or housing is described, for example, in WO 2004-053933 A2. Such a resin contains organic materials. These can lead to a reduction of service life of an LED because of processes such as outgassing and/or yellowing. Furthermore, an LED is not hermetically encapsulated in such a housing. Consequently, environmental influences can lead to degradation of materials, surfaces, and electrical connections. The thermal stability of the resin for high-output devices, for example 5-W LEDs, also represents a problem.